Coeliac NZ is a not-for-profit organisation and has been supporting people with coeliac disease for over 5 decades. By promoting diversity and inclusion we benefit from a wider talent pool and provide different perspectives that reflect the people who have coeliac disease. We have a strong skilled and engaged Board carrying out the governance of our organisation and having the voice of women in governance is important.
For the International Day of the Woman, we wanted to highlight one of the 7 women on our board, our chair Kirsty Vercoe. Kirsty is quite remarkable. She wears many hats having a senior leadership role at a large health organisation, being a parent to five children and giving back to her community through her governance roles.
Her journey began in 2012 when she was diagnosed with coeliac disease in her late 20s. Despite having family members and friends with the disease, she found that the support and information she received from Coeliac NZ during those initial months helped her adjust to the new diet and lifestyle. She lives in Auckland with her food scientist husband and young children and has a passion for health and wellbeing. She decided to support an organisation that supported her.
Kirsty has been on the Coeliac NZ Board since 2019 and chair since 2024. She is the Board representative on the Medical Advisory Panel. Kirsty is passionate about healthcare having originally trained as a pharmacist. She has had leadership roles within the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry for 2 decades and is currently the General Manager of Commercial and Partnerships at MercyAscot Hospitals in Auckland. Outside work, Kirsty enjoys spending time with her kids, playing tennis at her local club, getting out on the Hauraki Gulf, and supporting her local community where she is also a board member of Harbour Hospice.
We want to celebrate her because we think celebrating women is important, especially on International Day of the Woman.
Coeliac New Zealand is a registered charity. Please DONATE or become a member JOIN TODAY https://coeliac.org.nz/member-benefits/